Raju Srivastav facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Raju Srivastav
Srivastav during an event in 2012
Birth name	Satyaprakash Srivastav
Born	(1963-12-25)25 December 1963 Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh, India
Died	(2022-09-21)21 September 2022 (aged 58) Delhi, India
Genres	Observational comedy
Spouse	Shikha Srivastav ​ (m. 1993)​
Children	2
Relative(s)	Kushal Srivastava (nephew)
Notable works and roles	The Great Indian Laughter Challenge

Satya Prakash Srivastav (born December 25, 1963 – died September 21, 2022), known to everyone as Raju Srivastav, was a very popular Indian comedian, actor, and politician. People also called him Gajodhar. He was born in Kanpur, a city in Uttar Pradesh, India. In the 1980s, he moved to Mumbai to start his career in the Hindi film industry.

Raju Srivastav acted in many movies like Baazigar, Bombay to Goa, and Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya. He became super famous after joining the comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge, where he was the runner-up. He even won the title "The King of Comedy" in a special show called The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Champions. He performed in many live stand-up comedy shows, making people laugh all over the world.

Early Life and Childhood

Raju Srivastav was born in 1963 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh. His father, Ramesh Srivastav, was a poet. From a young age, Raju loved to mimic famous film stars, especially Amitabh Bachchan. This talent for copying voices and actions helped him later in his comedy career.

Raju Srivastav's Career Journey

Starting in Bollywood

In the 1980s, Raju Srivastav moved to Mumbai to begin his acting journey. He started with small roles in Bollywood movies. He appeared in the Rajshri Productions film Maine Pyar Kiya. He also had small parts in other movies like Baazigar and Bombay to Goa. He worked as both an actor and a comedian in the Bollywood movie Aamdani Atthanni Kharcha Rupaiya.

Becoming a Comedy King

In 2005, Raju Srivastav joined the stand-up comedy show The Great Indian Laughter Challenge. This show was a big turning point for him. He finished as the second runner-up, but his unique style made him very popular. After that, he participated in a special show called The Great Indian Laughter Challenge – Champions and won the title of "The King of Comedy." This made him a household name across India. By 2009, he had performed in over 2,800 live shows!

Raju Srivastav also took part in Bigg Boss (Hindi season 3), which is a reality TV show similar to Big Brother. He stayed in the house for more than two months before being voted out. In 2013, Raju and his wife joined Nach Baliye season 6, a popular dance show for couples. He also appeared on Comedy Nights with Kapil, another famous comedy show. In 2016, he was seen in Mazaak Mazaak Mein, a Hindi reality TV competition.

Political Journey

Raju Srivastav also had a career in politics. In 2014, the Samajwadi Party (SP) chose him to run for election from the Kanpur Lok Sabha constituency. However, he later decided to return the ticket, saying he wasn't getting enough support from the party's local groups.

A few days after leaving the Samajwadi Party, he joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in March 2014. Even though he didn't run for election that year, he actively supported BJP candidates in their campaigns. In 2014, the BJP-led government made him a brand ambassador for the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Mission). He even recorded advertisements for this important campaign. In 2019, he was appointed as the chairman of the Uttar Pradesh Film Development Council by the BJP-led Government of Uttar Pradesh.

Personal Life

Raju Srivastav married Shikha from Lucknow on July 1, 1993. They had two children, a son and a daughter.

Sad Demise

On August 10, 2022, while exercising on a treadmill at the gym, Raju Srivastav felt chest pain and had a cardiac arrest (heart attack). He had a procedure called an angioplasty and was put on a ventilator to help him breathe. Doctors also found swelling in his brain and he was treated by brain specialists. His condition remained very serious after the heart attack. Sadly, on the morning of September 21, 2022, he passed away during his treatment in Delhi.

Many famous people, including Narendra Modi (India's Prime Minister), Yogi Adityanath, Rajnath Singh, Amit Shah, and actors like Ajay Devgn, Akshay Kumar, and Anil Kapoor, shared their sadness and condolences after his death.

Filmography

Films

TV Series